Crazy Shortcut Quilts: Quilt as You Go and Finish in Half the Time!

by Sarah Raffuse and Marguerita McManus

Book Overview

The quilt-as-you-go technique in Crazy Short-Cut Quilts eliminates intimidating quilting steps, and empowers sewers with the ability to create full quilts, in no tome, that accent any existing decor. This book provides sewers with time estimates for each step of a crazy quilt patter; demonstrates how to break projects down into manageable pieces and suggests alternate uses for leftover fabrics; and teaches sewers how to make savvy fabric...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0896895475
• ISBN13: 9780896895478
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Krause Publications
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.4" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

Regret buying

I have been making crazy quilts for a few years and purchased this book anticipating that it would contain some new and, yet unknown to me, tips and tricks. It is neither a book for beginners nor for those already skilled at constructing a crazy quilt. It contains patterns for quilt blocks which, in my opinion, defeats the whole concept of crazy quilting. There are a couple of tips and photos referencing sashing that could be helpful. There is information on using machine decorative stitches to outline pieces in each block.

"Crazy Shortcut Quilts" is especially appropriate for novice quilt makers

The quilted blanket and bedspread are American icons and have proved to be enduringly popular with American families for more than two hundred years. Indeed, some of the them are to be found on display in American museums and galleries as works of art. Most are handed down from generation to generation as prized family heirlooms. "Crazy Shortcut Quilts: Quilt As You Go And Finish In Half The Time" is the collaborative work of quilt-making expert Marguerita McManus and quilting enthusiast Sarah Raffuse who show aspiring needlecrafters how they can make crazy quilts in a matter of hours instead of the months it took their grandmothers to accomplish. Clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step, illustrated instructions are provided for fifteen crazy quilt projects that include wall art, pillows, a queen-size quilt, fabric valances, and accent throws. Enhanced with practical advice on selecting the proper fabrics and choosing the right colors, "Crazy Shortcut Quilts" is also enhanced with useful ideas and tips for utilizing decorative stitches. Combining layers of a quilt in small manageable sections requiring no precise measuring or cutting, "Crazy Shortcut Quilts" is especially appropriate for novice quilt makers and a truly welcome addition to personal and community library Needlecraft reference collections.

Alaskan Quilters shares their Secrets

The mother/daughter team of Marguerita McManus and Sarah Raffuse have created "Crazy Shortcut Quilts - Quilt as You Go in Half the Time!". But after reading the book, there is much more to it than that! Their techniques can be incorporated into any project - and there are times they should be embraced by every quilter - you just may not know it yet! Many of us are involved in organizations that are making quilts for kids, babies, soldiers, cancer patients, etc. These are wonderful programs that make us proud to be quilters. But, they also can become expensive. Most of us are quite willing to donate fabric and sew, but few of us have the ability to machine quilt these donations. Paying for the machine quilting has become a problem. Not anymore! Marguerita and Sarah show you how to piece blocks - quilt them - and THEN sew the quilted blocks together to complete your quilt. Since the quilting follows the seams of the pieced blocks, anyone can do it - no meandering required! It is the perfect opportunity to use up all of those scraps of batting. And then there is the decorative stitching! Many of us have paid way too much for a sewing machine that had all of the bells and whistles - but don't quite remember what we were planning on doing with all of those stitches! No more! Marguerita and Sarah use these decorative stitches to machine quilt their projects and enhance their quilts. And, as an added bonus, any imperfections are disguised if you stray from the seam line. The threads can be changed on every seam so you may actually use up THAT stash as well! Since the blocks are quilted individually - and then sewn together - it is possible for anyone to quilt even a queen sized quilt the very first time! After the initial machine quilting - which is done in manageable sizes - the blocks are sewn together with straight seams. You just roll up the rows and stitch!

So inspiring it's crazy!!!

This book is the bomb!!! Yes, Sarah Raffuse and Marguerita McManus have finally put to pen to paper, needles to fabric and created a wonderful guide to helping all of us discover the wonderful shortcut technique of quilting-as-you-go with an equally wonderful method for modern-day crazy quilting, utilizing the 21st century technology of our precision sewing & embroidery machines. They have given us the perfect book to learn how to do it ourselves by breaking down the steps of all the processes and given us beautiful examples to jump-start our own creativity; with the added bonus solution of what to do with all of those fat quarters you have been collecting! I highly recommend this book for every quilter of every skill level. I can't wait for the sequel!!!

Crazy Quilt Shortcuts Fantastic Technique!

This book contains a crazy quilting technique that is fast, simple, so easy to follow. The quilt-as-you-go block joining method is one of the most precise I've ever seen. The instructions aren't the least bit complicated so anyone can do this, even first-time quilters. The joining and quilting techniques make it easy for quilters to quilt a whole quilt without the bulkiness of one that is pre-assembled. I'd highly recommend it.

This method is fun and easy.

I have already made two quilts with this method, when I took a class from one of the authors. When you get done, it's already quilted! The authors give good directions on how to cut and sew, and many block ideas to make a variety of quilts, each with clear instructions. It's also a fun way to use pretty threads and all of the embroidery patterns on your machine. And it's perfect for fat quarters. Mind you, this is a shortcut method, so don't expect it to teach you how to do exquisite, hand quilted and embroidered crazy quilts. If you want to do that, you need to check out Judith Montano's books. I'm glad the authors wrote this book, because I needed refreshing on how to do it. But I got more than that; it's full of new ideas!